'Very urgent, very difficult and quite possible': changing students' attitudes to notemaking by encouraging user generated content

Abstract

This paper explores the role that notemaking strategies can play as part of an emancipatory pedagogy designed to empower students. We will argue that being taught active notemaking is fundamental in enabling students to use information with confidence and thus that notemaking allows students to gain a voice (Bowl, 2005; Burns et al., 2006) within their own education. Rather than taking a psychological approach to notemaking, we suggest that notemaking allows students to take ownership of ideas and concepts in powerful ways (Gibbs, 1994 cited Burns and Sinfield, 2004), ways that reinforce understanding and build knowledge. These processes and practices can essentially help students to learn what they want to learn - and, pragmatically, to write essays that are adequately researched and correctly referenced (Burns and Sinfield, 2004). The final focus will be on the collaborative development of NoteMaker, a Reusable Learning Object (RLO) designed for use across the university and across the sector.